1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to so-called mud or splash guard flaps of the type that are supported behind the rear wheels of trucks; and more particularly to a method and means for suspending such mud flaps in a way that permits them to be released from the vehicle without damage upon the application of an inordinate amount of force to the mud flap structure, thus enabling replacement of the same mud flap on the supporting bracket.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
A preliminary patentability and novelty search relating to this invention revealed the existence of the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 938,057, 1,494,871, 2,059,869, 2,106,992, 2,139,307, 2,533,974, 2,619,363, 2,683,612, 2,714,015, 2,755,484, 2,777,710, 2,865,655, 2,935,336, 3,027,178, 3,051,508, 3,095,215, 3,158,386, 3,198,545, 3,219,363, 3,224,791, 3,248,126, 3,285,624, 3,333,868, 3,700,260, 3,778,086.
Among the foreign patents found that relate to mud flaps for vehicles was Belgian Pat. No. 493,696; British Pat. No. 604,068 and Italian Pat. No. 321968.
Referring to each of the patents in the order in which they were issued, U.S. Pat. No. 938,057 relates to a binder for binding loose sheets into a book form and includes one or two bars lying in close parallel juxtaposition, one of the bars being pivoted in relation to the other, and the other said bar having a pivoted catch mechanism adapted to overlap the bars when placed in a binding relationship on a pack of stacked sheets. While this patent discloses a binding device, it has no relevance whatever to mud flaps and vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,497,871 also relates to a support structure, but this device utilizes a spring clip to frictionally support a hat, such as might be required within a vehicle, cooperating with an extension of the clip to support a coat, or jacket. Again, the only relevance of this invention to a vehicle is that it may be mounted within the interior of a vehicle to support the hat and coat of an occupant of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,059,869 relates to an antenna structure for an automobile, the antenna structure being associated with the mud flaps which are permanently attached to the running boards of the automobile or to the fenders thereof. There is nothing in this patent that suggests the releasability of the mud flaps from their supporting structure upon the imposition of an inordinate amount of a downwardly directed force.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,106,992 relates specifically to a splash guard for a motor vehicle, the splash guard being adapted to be secured permanently to the beaded lower edge of the vehicle fender.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,139,307 relates to a splash guard design particularly for application to the lower end of a bicycle or motorcycle fender and to a specific clamp structure for suitably and permanently effecting such attachment. There is nothing in this structure that suggests the desirability of mounting the splash guard in such a way that it will pull free from the fender without damage.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,974 relates to a support clamp of the type that might be utilized to support a cup or water glass or flower pot on a cylindrical support structure, such as a pipe. There is nothing in this patent that suggests the utilization of a support clamp for releasably securing mud flaps to a motor vehicle upon the application of an inordinate downwardly directed force.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,619,363 relates specifically to a vehicle splash guard, but this patent teaches only the permanent attachment of the splash guard to the truck, and the thrust of the invention relates to the passage of air through the mud flap to minimize the tendency of the mud flap to be displaced rearwardly when the truck is in motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,683,612 also relates specifically to a mud flap for vehicles, and this patent appears to be the first of the group that incorporates the quality of detachability of the mud flap from the vehicle, as distinguished from releasability of the mud flap upon the application of an extraordinary force on the flap in a downward direction. However, detachability is effected by a releasable spring latch and lateral translation of the mud flap to withdraw the T-shaped upper edge thereof from the channel within which it is contained.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,015 relates specifically to a splash guard for attachment to the rear of vehicles, but does not specify the manner of attachment of the mud flap. The thrust of this construction is to deflect to the center of the mud flap any mud or slush that might be thrown by the rear wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,755,484 relates merely to a fitting of a type that is used for holding a flexible liner to the inside of a tank. There is nothing about this fitting that suggests its use in connection with a mud flap for vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,710 relates specifically to a detachable splash guard for trucks and trailers, the detachability of the splash guard being intentional rather than inadvertent as proposed by the instant invention. In this construction, the upper edge of the flap is provided with an enlarged thickness that is accommodated in a channel that prevents vertical displacement of the flap. Lateral translation of the flap in the channel is prevented by cotter pins extending through the channel outboard of the lateral edges of the flap.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,865,655 is directed to a wheel flap that is particularly useful for use in conjunction with logging trucks that travel over relatively unimproved roads. In this construction, the lateral arm or beam on which the mud flap is permanently secured is itself resiliently retained to the vehicle frame so that the entire supporting beam may be quickly detached from the frame to remove the flaps, or which will be pulled free from the frame if the beam comes into contact with an obstruction.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,935,336 relates to mud guards that are removable and quickly attachable to the mounting structure, the latter comprising an elongated sleeve welded to the underside of the frame adjacent its rear end, with each of the mud flaps being secured to a tube adapted to telescope into the associated end of the sleeve. To retract the flaps, a pin is removed from the tube retaining the flap, and spring means within the sleeve pull the tube into the sleeve. To extend the flaps into position of use, the tube is pulled from the sleeve, and the pin reinserted to retain the flap structure in extended position. There is nothing about this structure that suggests the release of the flap when the flap is inadvertently caught under the rear wheels or against an obstruction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,178 relates to a splash guard for trucks, but does not teach the concept of detachability of the mud flap or of purposeful release of the mud flap in the event that the mud flap gets caught underneath the rear wheel or against an obstruction. This splash guard is permanently attached to the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,508 is directed to a vehicle splash guard that is permanently attached to the vehicle, but which incorporates a lower transverse section that is adapted to pull free from the main flap portion if the lower transverse portion is caught between a rear wheel and an obstruction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,215 teaches a splash guard that introduces the concept of reusability of the splash guard after a portion thereof has been torn free from the splash guard by an unexpected encounter with an obstruction. If the flap is recovered after being torn from the vehicle, the torn away portion is removed from the supporting structure and the flap again suspended in the usual manner. There is nothing in this patent that suggests the pulling free of the mud flap from the supporting structure without the destruction or tearing of the flap.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,386 is of particular relevance in that it discloses a mud flap or splash guard for a truck that embodies the concept of releasability of the mud flap from its supporting structure upon the imposition of a downwardly directed tensile force. However, the structure utilized to effect this result is completely different from the structure of the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,545, while it relates to a spray shield or splash guard for attachment to the underside of a vehicle, such as a truck, to shield following vehicles from mud or debris flung from the wheels, does not incorporate structure that purposefully permits release of the splash guard structure when a predetermined amount of downwardly imposed force is applied on the splash guard.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,363 constitutes another relevant patent in that this patent also teaches the concept of releasable attachment for the mud flap that permits release of the mud flap without destroying the mud flap when a predetermined amount of downwardly exterted force is imposed on the mud flap, such as when the mud flap might be caught between the rear wheels and an obstruction such as a stop block. A retention means in this construction includes a thickened bead at the upper edge of the mud flap that is retained in a complimentary configured angle that is spring-pressed to normally retain the flap suspended from the vehicle. However, when a predetermined downwardly directed force is imposed on the mud flap, the thickened edge portion of the flap functions as a cam to rotate the clamp means into a position wherein the flap is released from its attachment. Obviously, while achieving the same purpose as the present invention, it accomplishes that purpose by a wholly different means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,791 is directed to the mounting structure for a splash guard, the invention residing in the nature of the structure from which the splash guard is suspended, this being resiliently suspended for lateral translation in relation to the vehicle. The mud flap itself is permanently attached to the flap mounting means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,126 relates to a retractable assembly for mud flaps that are mounted on the rear end of a dump truck. Since a load that is dumped may bury the mud flap and thus cause it to be trapped so that when the truck pulls away from the dumped load, the flaps are torn from their mounting brackets, it is advisable to retract the mud flaps before the load is dumped, thus eliminating the possibility of losing the mud flaps.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,624 relates to a splash guard and mounting assembly therefor that results in the permanent attachment of a splash guard to the mounting assembly. There is nothing in this patent that suggests the releasability of the splash guard upon the imposition of a downwardly directed force of extraordinary and inordinate amount.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,868 teaches the mounting of a mud flap or splash guard on a fixed bracket on a truck in such a manner that the flap may be pulled free from its mounting, but remains tethered to the mounting by an appropriate structure so that the flap is not lost when it is released. The flaps are retained in operative position by resilient metallic spring clips having appropriate projections that penetrate apertures in the upper edge of the mud flap to retain the mud flap in operative position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,260 is directed to a mud flap and a mounting means therefor in which the upper edge of the mud flap is enlarged and retained in a spring pressed clamp that releases when a predetermined amount of downwardly directed stress is imposed on the depending portion of the mud flap. When this occurs, the clamp means opens and the flap is released.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,086 also relates to a mud flap that is releasably attached to a supporting structure, the releasable means including a spring pressed clamping structure that normally retains the flap in position of use, but which opens against spring pressure to release the mud flap from its mounting when an inordinate amount of downward stress is imposed on the flap.
Belgian Pat. No. 493696 also relates to a splash guard or mud flap but is directed to the means for mounting the flap in a manner to permit easy removal. Nothing in this patent teaches the automatic release of the flap from its mounting when an inordinate amount of downwardly directed force is imposed thereon.
British Pat. No. 604,068 is directed to a splash guard for cycles such as bicycles and motorcycles, and is permanently mounted on the fender, with no provision being made for release of the splash guard in the event it is tugged downwardly.
In like manner, Italian Pat. No. 321968 discloses a mud flap that is permanently attached to the bottom edge of the rear fender of an automobile, is articulated in its construction, but permanently attached with no provision being made for release of the splash guard upon the imposition of a downwardly directed force.
From the numerous patents discussed above, it will be seen that while the concept of the placement of a mud flap or a splash guard behind the rear wheels of a tractor or a trailer is an old concept, most of the structures that are illustrated in the patents discussed above relate to the specific permanent mounting of the mud flap on a permanently attached bracket, or relate to a removable bracket that permits the quick and easy removal of the flap and supporting bracket completely from the truck. Only about five of the patents, as noted above in the discussion of those patents, treat the concept of the purposeful release of the mud flap or splash guard from its mounting, without destruction of the flap, when a downwardly directed predetermined and non-destructive force is imposed on the flap. All of these structures however are different from the structure of the instant invention. Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a flap structure and a mounting means therefor that incorporates means for releasably mounting the flap on a vehicle in such a manner that when a downwardly directed force of predetermined amount is imposed on the flap, the flap will be automatically released from its mounting without damage or destruction of the flap.
As indicated in two of the patents discussed above, particularly U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,683,612 and 2,777,710, directed to the use of flaps on dump trucks, flaps must be removed and replaced quite frequently depending upon the service to which the truck is put. Accordingly, another object of the invention is the provision of a mounting means for truck flaps which enables the driver to quickly and easily remove and replace the flaps as needed.
A set of flaps for a dual wheeled truck or tractor can cost a substantial amount of money. The cost of these flaps, coupled with the fine that a trucker might have to pay if he is caught on a highway without the flaps, creates the temptation that these flaps be stolen from one truck and placed on another. Accordingly, a still further object of the invention is the provision of a mounting means for mud flaps on a truck constructed in such a way that the flaps may be easily removed and replaced by an authorized person, but which include means for discouraging their theft.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.